These Parents Didn't Give Birth, But They Are Breastfeeding Their Babies

ArtBox Images via Getty Images Bekki Hockman, who runs a Facebook group for non-gestational parents who wish to breastfeed, experienced a lot of pain and disappointment on her journey to motherhood. “One day my goddaughter came forward and said, ‘When are you going to let me do this for you?’” As Hockman’s surrogate, her goddaughter got pregnant on the first try. “Then, one night, I just got thinking about it and I Googled, ‘Can you breastfeed without birthing a baby?’ and I found this whole world of ‘Yes, it’s possible.’” How does inducing lactation work? “The goal here is to bond with these miracle babies that we’re getting no matter how we’re getting them, whether that’s adoption, surrogacy, non-birthing partner.” - Bekki Hockman Starting six weeks before the baby is expected to arrive, parents using the protocol begin using a breast pump to stimulate milk production, pumping 5-7 minutes every three hours and at least once overnight — although recommendations differ depending on the circumstances. “It is unusual for a parent inducing lactation to produce enough milk to completely meet their baby’s needs,” said Alyssa Schnell, an international board-certified lactation consultant who induced lactation to feed her own adopted daughter and has gone on to support “over a thousand parents to do the same.” Why do people induce lactation?